Few fee are as maddening to traveling agents and consumer alike as fuel surcharges.

Even when the total menu is reasonable, there’s something particularly frustrating about beholding a damage in the menu display, and then beholding another damage that, to Europe in particular, is $400-$500 more than the original price, and over half of that additional difference is . fuel surcharge; especially when gaseous state damage have been relatively stable.

It’s one thing to minimal brain damage a surcharge if some world event upshot in fuel damage shot up. But when those damage have stabilized, well, it seems to me it’s just . cost of doing concern air hose don’t minimal brain damage “crew surcharges” when their labor union win some concession , nor “weather surcharges” for flight in winter . Why should fuel be singled out?

In addition, fuel surcharge are neither discountable not commissionable. Which means that big corporations that have deduction with that particular airline, consolidators with net menu and traveling agents who have committee deals, are all out? of circumstances That in turn means either directly higher costs, or higher service fees.

There is just something psychologically irritating about beholding a required charge broken out Most traveling agents are familiar with the phenomenon that many client would be happier say, with a $1,000 ticket damage and no service fee, than a $900 ticket and a $100 service fee.

Lufthansa, however, to their credit, is moving in the way of honesty in fares. The airline announced they were elevation many menu on June 22. At the same time they will lower berth fuel surcharges.

These increase and decrease aren’t huge, the biggest menu increase on frst-class menu will be €150 per roundtrip, and economic system fare hiking will top out at €30 . But fuel surcharge to North America will be reduced to about €130 to €82 each manner And it’s a start.

I’m not holding my breath that U.S. carriers will be quick to follow suit Although if they match Lufthansa’s base fare as they usually do, they may find themselves with higher damage if they keep the higher fuel surcharges. So stay tuned.